Who Is Kevin Franke, Ruby Franke’s Former Husband
Kevin Franke is the former husband of disgraced family vlogger Ruby Franke, whose name became synonymous with one of the most shocking child abuse scandals in recent memory. For over two decades, Kevin and Ruby presented themselves as a typical large Mormon family, raising six children in Springville, Utah, while documenting their lives on the popular YouTube channel 8 Passengers . Kevin worked as an engineering professor at Brigham Young University, providing what appeared to be a stable, academic backdrop for the family’s carefully curated online persona. However, behind the edited videos and smiling thumbnails, the family was quietly fracturing under the influence of a controversial therapist named Jodi Hildebrandt.
Unlike Ruby, who pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse and is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence, Kevin was never charged with any crime related to the abuse of his children . The narrative around Kevin is far more complex and tragic, painting a picture of a man who was allegedly manipulated, isolated, and psychologically controlled by Hildebrandt, leading him to move out of the family home a full year before the arrests took place. Prosecutors and law enforcement officials ultimately determined that Kevin was genuinely unaware of the physical and emotional torture happening to his youngest children because he was living separately and had been completely cut off from communication with them during that critical period.
Today, Kevin’s life looks drastically different from the family vlogging days that first brought his family into the public eye. His divorce from Ruby was finalized in March 2025, and he has since remarried, finding love again with a woman named Becca Bevan, a relationship that has brought him renewed happiness . He has also been granted full custody of his six children and has become an outspoken advocate for child welfare reform in Utah, using his painful experience to push for legislative changes. This article explores Kevin’s difficult journey through the scandal, his legal battles, his new marriage, and his ongoing quest to heal his fractured family.
The Timeline of Kevin and Ruby Franke’s Troubled Marriage
Kevin and Ruby Franke were married for over two decades, welcoming six children together before their long-term relationship fractured under extraordinary and tragic circumstances . The turning point in their marriage came when Ruby began a deep and troubling association with Jodi Hildebrandt, a therapist and life coach who ran a controversial program called ConneXions. According to Kevin and the couple’s eldest son, Chad, everything changed dramatically once Hildebrandt entered the picture. She presented herself as an authoritative mental health figure, but her focus quickly turned to systematically dismantling Kevin and Ruby’s marriage, sowing distrust and creating division between them.
Under Hildebrandt’s powerful influence, Kevin was diagnosed without any formal psychological testing as being lustful, narcissistic, manipulative, deceptive, controlling, and selfish, labels that were weaponized against him . Hildebrandt insisted that Kevin move out of the family home and cut off all contact with his wife and children to work on his alleged addiction to selfishness, a demand that seemed designed to isolate him completely . Disturbingly, Kevin complied with these instructions, trusting that Hildebrandt was a licensed professional mental health counselor and that his wife Ruby was acting in their family’s best interest. He later explained that he was choosing to trust the experts, both of whom gave him what he now calls terrible counsel.
Kevin filed for divorce from Ruby in November 2023, just months after her dramatic arrest for child abuse, signaling a definitive break from the woman he had been married to for over twenty years . The divorce was finalized in March 2025, legally ending their marriage and allowing both parties to move forward separately . As part of the divorce agreement, the family home was transferred to Kevin, and neither party was ordered to pay alimony to the other . Ruby chose to retain the Franke surname despite the divorce and the horrific crimes associated with that name, a decision that has puzzled many observers. At her sentencing hearing, Ruby tearfully told Kevin, “You are the love of my life. The ending of our marriage is a tragedy,” but by 2025, Kevin had requested prison officials to stop Ruby from writing him letters.
Jodi Hildebrandt’s Manipulation and the Civil Lawsuit
The web of psychological manipulation spun by therapist Jodi Hildebrandt is central to understanding Kevin Franke’s actions and decisions during the years leading up to the scandal. After Ruby’s dramatic arrest in August 2023, Kevin filed a civil lawsuit against Hildebrandt, alleging negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and breach of fiduciary duty as a mental health professional . The lawsuit details a disturbing pattern of psychological control and isolation, describing how Hildebrandt systematically inserted herself into the Franke marriage. Kevin claims that Hildebrandt used his deep commitment to his religion and his marriage vows against him, threatening that if he did not change quickly enough, Ruby would divorce him and he would lose his family.
Kevin further alleges that Hildebrandt’s destructive control cost him his job at Brigham Young University, where he had worked as an engineering professor for many years. Under her influence, he did not renew his Latter-day Saint temple recommend, which was a requirement for his continued employment at the religiously affiliated university . When he lost his job, rather than expressing concern or sympathy for his professional devastation, Hildebrandt allegedly scolded him and told him he was being selfish for caring about his career . She ultimately suspended his services in July 2023, demanding he observe six months of absolute solitude communicating only with God.
Because of this precise timeline, specifically that Kevin was banished from the home and completely isolated prior to the worst of the physical abuse occurring, he was never charged with any crimes in connection with Ruby’s actions . He is currently seeking restitution from Hildebrandt through his civil lawsuit in order to recover assets for the children, though his legal claims against her have faced significant procedural challenges, including motions to dismiss from Hildebrandt’s legal team. The case continues to wind through the courts, and Kevin remains determined to hold Hildebrandt accountable for her role in the destruction of his family.
Remarriage to Becca Bevan: A New Chapter Begins
In a surprising and hopeful turn of events, just months after his divorce from Ruby was finalized, Kevin Franke announced his engagement to a woman named Becca Bevan in October 2025 . The couple married quickly thereafter in December 2025, signaling a rapid and joyous new chapter in Kevin’s life after years of trauma and loss . The announcement was met with a complex mix of public support and understandable scrutiny, given the recent timeline following the abuse scandal and his divorce. Many fans of the family’s story were happy to see Kevin finding happiness, while others questioned the speed of the new relationship.
Kevin’s eldest daughter, Shari Franke, has been notably vocal in her support of her father’s new marriage, which has helped validate the relationship in the eyes of the public. Sharing a photo of the newlyweds on her Instagram account, Shari wrote a heartfelt message, “When I was younger, I could always see he wasn’t happy, and I prayed that one day he’d find someone that made him happy like he deserved” . This public endorsement from his children is crucial for Kevin, as he has been working diligently to repair his fractured relationships with them after years of separation and trauma. The children’s acceptance of Becca suggests that the family is healing together.
In his engagement announcement, Kevin reflected thoughtfully on the trauma of the previous years, writing with raw honesty, “Redemption is a real thing. There were moments during the past three years when I didn’t think I would ever feel happiness or the warm embrace of a loving partner again” . He credited grace, resilience, his faith, and a small circle of loyal friends for buoying him when he couldn’t stand on his own feet emotionally. The marriage to Becca represents a fresh start for Kevin, a chance to build a healthy partnership based on trust and mutual respect, lessons he learned painfully from his previous marriage.
Custody of the Franke Children and Current Healing
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Kevin Franke is currently the sole legal guardian of all six Franke children, having been granted full custody following the arrests and Ruby’s imprisonment . Following the dramatic arrests in August 2023, the children were initially placed in protective custody while investigations were conducted. Kevin has since been granted full custody and is now entirely focused on their physical and psychological recovery from the severe trauma they endured . One of the central and most challenging narratives of Kevin’s post-arrest life has been his effort to rebuild trust with his children, who were subjected to horrific treatment while he was kept away from them by Hildebrandt’s influence.
The path to healing for the family has not been easy or linear. Kevin told People magazine in a February 2025 interview that his priority is getting back into a comfortable normal after years of chaos and uncertainty . He described the ongoing process as establishing a new normal for the family, one that prioritizes safety, open communication, and professional mental health support. His lawyer has noted that Kevin is focused on repairing relationships with his children rather than slinging mud at his estranged wife, though the legal and emotional scars from the experience remain deep and will likely take years to fully heal.
In addition to the daily work of caring for his six children, Kevin has become an outspoken advocate for stronger child welfare laws in Utah, using his painful experience to help other families. Addressing Utah state legislators in July 2024, he claimed the system was broken and had failed his children in their time of greatest need . He has pushed for regulations allowing child welfare workers to take temporary custody when multiple red flags are raised and for stricter oversight of the unregulated life coaching industry, which allowed Jodi Hildebrandt to operate with impunity. His advocacy work has given him a sense of purpose amid the pain.
The Ongoing Legal Battles and Damage Control
Beyond the criminal case against Ruby, Kevin Franke remains entangled in the legal aftermath of the scandal, particularly through his civil lawsuit against Jodi Hildebrandt . This lawsuit, which alleges negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and breach of fiduciary duty, represents Kevin’s attempt to hold the therapist accountable for her role in manipulating and isolating him and his family. Convincing a jury that a licensed therapist used her professional authority to dismantle a family rather than help it is a challenging legal hurdle, but Kevin’s legal team is pressing forward. Hildebrandt’s attorneys have filed motions to dismiss, arguing that she cannot be held liable for Kevin’s voluntary decisions.
Additionally, there has been significant legal maneuvering regarding the Franke estate and the finances generated by the 8 Passengers YouTube channel. With Ruby incarcerated, Kevin has been working with attorneys to secure assets for the children’s future, including educational expenses and ongoing therapy costs . The question of whether family vlogging income should be set aside for the children featured in the videos has gained new urgency in light of this case. Utah has passed a child influencer law partly in response to the Franke case, and Kevin has publicly supported such regulations, though critics note he was a willing participant in the channel for years before the scandal broke.
Kevin has also had to manage the public relations damage to his own reputation. While law enforcement cleared him of any criminal wrongdoing, segments of the public remain skeptical, questioning how a father could not know what was happening to his children. Kevin has addressed this in interviews, explaining the sophisticated manipulation tactics used by Hildebrandt to isolate him, cut off communication, and make him believe he was the problem . He has also had to navigate the complex emotions of his children, some of whom grapple with feelings of abandonment because he left the home. Rebuilding those relationships is his highest priority.
The Netflix Documentary and Public Perception
The Franke family’s tragic story has been the subject of intense media scrutiny, most recently with the release of Netflix’s Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story at the end of 2025 . The documentary details the abusive relationship between Ruby and Hildebrandt and the subsequent criminal case that shocked the nation. Kevin’s role in the narrative has been a significant point of contention, with the public sharply divided on whether he is a true victim of sophisticated psychological manipulation or a complicit bystander who ignored multiple red flags for years.
Kevin has also participated in other documentary projects, including Hulu’s Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke, where he spoke extensively and emotionally, including admitting that he still loved Ruby despite her horrific actions . “The actions that she did are atrocious. But I still feel a longing and I miss her,” he said in the documentary, adding that he could not simply turn off all of those other memories from the early, happy years of their marriage . These admissions have been met with both sympathy and criticism, with some arguing that it is healthy to acknowledge complex emotions and others questioning why he would still have affection for someone who harmed his children.
In his various public appearances, Kevin has directly addressed the financial motives of family vlogging, a topic that has come under increased scrutiny since the scandal. He supported Utah’s new child influencer law, which requires parents to set aside a percentage of earnings for children featured in monetized online content . Critics, however, note that while Kevin now supports such regulations, he was a willing and active participant in the 8 Passengers channel for years before the scandal broke, benefiting financially from the very system he now criticizes. This contradiction has made him a complex figure in the public imagination.
Life Today and Looking Toward the Future
As of 2026, Kevin Franke is focused entirely on rebuilding his life and the lives of his six children, a monumental task that requires patience, resources, and professional support . He resides with his children in the family home in Springville, Utah, the same property where much of the abuse occurred, though his new wife Becca Bevan has moved in as well . The family is reportedly in intensive therapy, with the children receiving specialized treatment for the trauma they experienced. Kevin has stepped back from his professional engineering career to focus on parenting full-time, a decision that has been made possible by family support and careful financial planning.
The children are being homeschooled or attending new schools where their identities are protected from public attention. Kevin has been careful about allowing them to be photographed or discussed in the media, a sharp reversal from the overexposure of the 8 Passengers years . He has expressed regret for his role in the family vlogging industry, acknowledging that he should have seen the warning signs earlier and protected his children from the pressures of constant public scrutiny. This remorse appears genuine, and he has committed to keeping his children’s lives private moving forward.
Looking ahead, Kevin faces the challenge of helping his children navigate adolescence and young adulthood while carrying the scars of severe abuse. He also continues his legal battle against Jodi Hildebrandt, seeking accountability and financial restitution. His marriage to Becca provides a source of personal happiness and stability, but the work of healing a family shattered by trauma is a long-term endeavor. Kevin has told friends that he is focused on the small victories, a child smiling again, a night of uninterrupted sleep, a moment of genuine laughter in the house. The road ahead is long, but for the first time in years, Kevin Franke sees hope on the horizon.
